Driving mechanism for multispindle machines.



G. ODGEIDLEY.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR MULTISPINDLE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.2, 1909.

Patented Sept 29, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

G. 0. GRIDLEY. DRIVING MECHANISM FOR MULTISPINDLE MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED APILZ, 1909.

1,1 12,209. I Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

m 3 SHEETSSHBET 2. N

G. 0. GRIDLEY. 1 DRIVING MEGHANISM EOE MULTISPINDLE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2, 1909,

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

3 SHEETSPSHEET s.

To all whom it may concern.

. GEORGE O. GBIDLEY, OF WINDSOR, VERMONT.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR MULTISPINDLE MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

Application filed April 2, 1909. Serial No. 487,505.

Be it known that I, GEORGE O. GRIDLEY,

of Windsor, in the county of Windsor and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving Mechanisms for Multispindle Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to driving mechanisms for metal-working machines, and has particular reference to machines of the character shown in the patent granted to me November 24, 1908, No. 904,866, in which workpieces are held in a plurality of spindles which are constantly driven rotatively, and the tools are fed longitudinally of the work.

In such machines the feed of the tools is produced by a cam shaft, which is driven by a spindle-driving shaft at a given speed ratio to the latter shaft while the tools are operating upon the work, and. is driven independently at a higher speed to return the tools to their primary position after the cutting operation is finished. Independent sources of power are here employed for driving the spindle-rotating\shaft and the cam shaft during the feed movement, and for effecting the return of the tools.

It is the object of the present invention to have a single driving member for accomplishing the result of the two independent driving pulleys of the previous type of machines.

In other words, my invention consists in providing a driving mechanism for metalworking machines of this character, in which a single driving pulley or its equivalent is connected with the feed shaft throi'igh the work spindle driving shaft during the cutting operation to feed the tools at a given rate with respect to the speed of the work spindles while the cutting operation is taking place, and is independently connected with the cam shaft to effect a quick return of the tools at a uniform speed, regardless of that at which the work is driven and the feed accomplished.

As an incident to the present improvement, the driving element, instead of being mounted directly upon the spindle-rotating shaft, as in the patent referred to, is inde pendently mounted and connected with the spindle-driving shaft by change gears so that the latter may be driven at a variety of speeds while the speed of the driving pulley remains constant.

Of the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 represents an elevation of the driving mechanism embodying and illustrating. a form of the invention by which the foregoing object is obtained. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same mechanism. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken through the centers of the Plllley shaft and spindle-driving shaft. Fig. 4 is an elevation as seen from the left of Fig. 1.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In a frame-work of any suitable construction are mounted the workoperating shaft 1, which, because it may be connected with work-holding spindles or the like in the manner shown in the patent before referred to, or in any other convenient or suitable way, may be called the spindle-driving shaft, and the cam or feed shaft 2 by which the'relative feeding movement between the work and tools is produced. For convenience of description, and to avoid circumlocution, the shaft 1 may be termed the primary shaft, and shaft 2 the secondary shaft. A third shaft 3, calledfor convenience the operating shaft or pulley shaft, carries a prime mover 4 which gives motion to all the parts of the mechanism. This prime mover is shown as being a pulley adapted to be driven by a belt, but itwmay obviously be any other equivalent mechanical element. The prime mover is connected with the primary shaft by change gears 5 and 6 secured upon the shafts 3 and 1, respectively. These change gears enable the primary shaft to be driven at a variety of speeds while the pulley is driven at one constant speed. i

Secured on the primary shaft 1 is a worm 7 meshing with a worm wheel 8 on a transverse shaft 9, which is'geared to the shaft 10 by change gears 11 and 12. The shaft 10 is the immediate operator for the secondary or cam shaft 2, serving that end through a worm 13 meshing with a worm gear 14 keyed upon the shaft 2. Likewisesecured u ')()II the )ullev shaft 3 is a bevel gear 15 meshing'with a complemental gear 16 on the shaft 17. which carries a gear 18 engaging a gear 19 loosely mounted on the shaft 10. The latter gear is intermittently connected with the shaft 10 by a clutch 20 splined upon the shaft and thrown into and out of connection with a complemental clutch member on the gear by a forked lever 21. This lever has studs 22 entering a groove 23 on the exterior of the clutch.

The lever i'sfulcrumed upon stud 24 and has an arm 21 which is moved back and forth to connect and disconnect the clutch,

- by means of cams 25 and 26 secured to a cam drum 27 which is carried by the secondary or feed shaft 2. 1

The gear'12, as Well as gear 19, is loosely -mounted on the shaft 10, and carries a pawl 28 arranged to engage a ratchet wheel 29 secured upon the shaft. This pawl and ratchet cause the shaft to be driven by the gear 12, except when it is driven at a higher speed by the gears -18'and 19, but allows this higher speed of the shaft td take place.

-In the operation of the machine, the prime mover or driver 4 is caused to, rotate constantly at a uniform speed and drives the primary shaft 1. While the tools are acting upon the Work, the clutch 23 is disconnected from the gear 19 and the drive of the cam or feed-shaft is effected by the primary shaft 1 through the worm and Wheel 7 and 8, change gears 11 and 12, pawl and ratchet 28 and 29, shaft 10, worm l3, and worm gear 14. When the cutting operation-is completed, the cam 25 acts upon the arm 21 of lever 21 and throws the clutch 28 into connection with the gear 19,

driving the cam shaft 2 and its actuating shaft directly through the bevel gears 15 16, shaft 17 and gears 18 19. This has the effect of rotating the shaft 10 stillv in the same'direction, but at. a higher speed, due to the different speed values of the gearing, and augments the. speed of the cam shaft without altering its direction. The cams are so constructed, conveniently as illustrated in my Patent No. 904,866, before referred to, that the last portion of the rotation of the cam shaft Withdraws the tools to starting position, and as the speed is inment, the speed of feeding bears a constant determined ratio with respect to the speed at which the spindles are driven, although this ratio may be changed by substitution of other change gears. The direct drive h through the gear train 15 16 18 19 is, however, constant so that the speed of return of the tools is always the same, whatever may be the feeding speed. Thus by reason of the change gears 5 6, I am enabled to get a variety of speeds for the spindles, the

speed of the driver being constant, while the speed of the feed shaft 2 bears a constant relation to that of the spindles, and by means of the change gears 11 12, I am enabled to obtain a variety of ratios between the spindle and feed shaft speeds. Whatever may be the feeding speed, however, or the ratio of this speed to that at p which the work is driven, the speed of return through the gears 1.5 16 18 and 19 is always the same.

I claim 1. A driving mechanism for multispindle machines, comprising a spindle-driving shaft, a prime mover geared to said spindledriving shaft and adapted to drive the latter and thereby the spindles, a tool feed shaft, gearing between said spindle-driving shaft and tool feed shaft by which the former drives the latter at all times while work is being performed, and an independent train of gearing the driving 1nember of'i'vhich is connected to said prime mover for driving the tool feed shaft at a constant and relatively high speed.

A driving mechanism of the character described comprising a spindle driving shaft, an operating shaft geared to said ing gears secured to said spindle driving and operating shafts respectively whereby the spindle driving shaft is rotated, a tool feed shaft, slow speed and high speed gears loose with respect to said tool feeding shaft, clutching means for connecting said gears respectively to said tool feed shaft, a worm and wheel gearing driven by the spindle driving shaft and in gear with said slow speed gear of the tool shaft, and a high speed gearing driven by the operating shaft and in gear .with said high speed gear of the toolffecd shaft.

1. A driving mechanism for multispindlc machines comprising a prime mover, a spindle driving shaft, complcmental intermeshing gears on said prime mover and spindle driving shaft, a tool feed actuating shaft, :1 slow speed driving gear loose on said tool feed actuating shaft, an intermediate shaft, a gear on said intcri'nediate shaft'meshing with said slow speed driving gear, a worm wheel on said intermediate shaft, a worm on said spindle driving shaft; a high speed gear loosely mount ed on said tool feed operating shaft, an intermediate gearing driven directly by the prime mover meshing with and actuating said high speed gear, and clutches for independently c011- necting the slow speed and high speed gears with the tool feed operating shaft.

5. A driving mechanism for multispindle machines, comprising a prime mover, a spindle driver, a tool feeder, mechanism through which the prime mover drives said spindle driver, mechanism through Which the spindle driver actuates the tool feeder, and independent mechanism through which the prime mover actuates the tool feeder at a speed different from that given the tool feeder by the spindle driver..

6. A driving mechanism for multispindle machines, comprising a prime mover, a spindle driver, a tool feeder, mechanism through which the prime mover drives said spindle driver, and mechanism through which the spindle driver actuates the tool feeder, said first-named mechanism including changeable gears for causing the speed of the spindle driver and tool feeder to be increased or diminished simultaneously and proportioi'lately While the speed of the prime mover remains the same.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of tWo Witnesses.

GEORGE O. GRIDLEY. Witnesses W. J. SAXiE, RUTH G. KEYEs. 

